This invention generally relates to catamenial devices such as tampons and other insertable articles which are prepared from hydrophilic polymeric foam materials.
As noted in the above-identified co-pending application, catamenial devices such as tampons have been prepared from a wide variety of synthetic and naturally occuring organic materials in the form of fibers and sponge-like materials, but have all suffered from various critical defects. Generally, a device such as a tampon which is to be inserted in an easily irritable area of the body cavity must possess a refined texture and flexibility, while, at the same time, possessing a significant absorptive capacity and the ability to rapidly and uniformly re-expand in contact with moisture such as occasioned by the menstrual flow. The latter property is required because the device must assume a reduced size to facilitate its insertion.
Generally, prior art devices have lacked one or more of the above properties, as absorption is usually gained at the expense of size, and flexibility and texture are sacrificed to the ability to undergo re-expansion.
In the context of the above discussion, Applicants sought to provide a device combining all of the favorable characteristics, and, accordingly, developed a catamenial device prepared from a hydrophilic, rapidly re-expandable polymeric foam which is compressed to less than 50 percent of its dry volume and then placed within a soluble, lubricious constraining means such as a capsule. The material most often comprising the capsule of this device is a gelatin compound, which was known to possess the requisite lubricity and solubility as well as non-toxicity to living tissue.
Further experimentation conducted since the development of the above has uncovered a useful alternate material for the preparation of the constraining means which possesses all of the above properties and is easier and less expensive to employ.